Mathematical Talent: Discovery, Description, and Development

Expanded version of a symposium of the American Association for the Advancement of Science entitled "Discovering and Nurturing Precocious Talent in Mathematics and Physical Science" David, a 13-year-old eighth grader, scores 590 on a SAT verbal test, 669 on a SAT math test, and 752 on a college physics aptitude test. It seems evident that David is intellectually equipped to do work just as good (if not better) as that of a freshman at any selective college or university. What can his parents and school do to maintain his intellectual stimulation and rate of academic accomplishment? "What do we know about the emotional and social capacity of students like David? Julian C. Stanley, Daniel P. Keating, and Lynn H. Fox, confront these and other questions in this first report on their five-year Study of Math- ematically and Scientifically Precocious Youth (SMSPY). The program identifies exceptionally-talented seventh and eighth graders, studies their : backgrounds and_interests, and offers those most gifted students ways to accelerate in mathematics either through special high school level courses or by having them take college-level courses for credit. "David" mentioned above, for example, is presently a doctoral candidate in computer science at a major university and plans to complete his degree at the age of 19 or 20. In the second half of the twentieth century, the primary emphasis of our education efforts and funds has been on the problem or slow student, to the neglect of exceptionally gifted students. _Mathematical Talent: Discovery, Description, and Development_ opens a virtually untouched field and begins the movement to develop ways for precocious children to move more rapidly through high school and college before their intellectual talents are stifled, abused, and possibly wasted. Various aspects of intellectual giftedness are discussed from several points of view. In the first of nine chapters, Stanley provides the historical background of studies on gifted children and tells how this study originated. Some of the other articles include: a description of the data collected during the first year of the study by Keating; an evaluation by Fox of the methods used to facilitate the students' academic advancement; and a discussion, - by Helen Astin, of sex differences in mathematics aptitude scores. The second part of the book includes an analysis of how well the group learned high school level mathematics, an evaluation of their social and emotional development, and a look at their adjustment to a college classroom situation. Each section of the book has an overview and critique. _Mathematical Talent_ is a particularly significant contribution to this neglected aspect of education since it not only identifies and describes exceptionally gifted children but also makes broad-gauge assessments of both their cognitive and affective characteristics. The book makes concrete recommendations on how they can be integrated into the current educational system; and demonstrates that these students are not necessarily maladjusted, neurotic, and unhappy. This study will be of special interest to math and science teachers, educational psychologists, curriculum specialists, sociologists, and other professionals involved in the field of education. Julian C. Stanley is professor of psychology and director of the Study of Mathematically and Scientifically Precocious Youth at The Johns HopKins University, He is author of several books on education and Psychology. Lynn H. Fox and Daniel P. Keating are Post-doctoral fellows in Psychology at Johns Hopkins and are Working as Project associates With the study.